Snap valve



Feb. 25,1936. F. A. GAUGER 2,032,053

' I SNAP VALVE Filed March '7, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Zi \J I /4 A5 Z9 J0 /Z Zinnentor 594/?4 gm/ya) Bg A; O /5 j] M a? WW Gttorneg Feb. 25, 1936.

F. A. GAUGER SNAP VALVE Filed March '7, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 y n J J 4 7W (Ittorneg Patented Feb. 25 1936 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SNAP VALVE Frank A. Gauger, Milwaukee, Wis. Application March 7, 1932, Serial No. 597,124

5 Claims.

Objects of this invention are to provide a novel form of automatic valve which is so made that it snaps fully open or fully closed, and is at all times leak proof. where the operating means passes 5 through the casing although freely and easily opgrated, and which is devoid of packing or stufling oxes.

, Further objects are to provide a valve of the above outlined type which is thermostatically 10 controlled in a manner to cause the operation of the valve at the initial portion of the movement of the thermostatic member or device, for either opening or closing motion, without waiting for the thermostatic member to execute its full stroke 15 or movement.

Further objects are to provide a novel construction in which the operative connection between the thermostatic member and the valve involves the use of a friction clutch device, so

20 that'the thermostatic member may operate the valve at the initial portion of its stroke and may slip along during the remainder of its stroke after the valve has either opened or closed, thereby preventing warping or straining of any of the 25 parts although providing a. thermostatically controlled valve which is very quickly responsive.

Embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings in which:-

Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view somewhat diagrammatically shown, illustrating the relative position of the device on the stove and showing one application of the invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of 35 Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectionaLview approximately on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional view through the valve casing, said view corresponding to a section on the line d-d of Figure 5.

Figure 5 is a view of the valve structure with the cover plate re noved and with parts broken away.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary detail view showing 45 a modified form of construction.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that the device has been shown as applied to a gas stove provided with a main pilot I, top burners 2, and an oven burner 3. The oven burner is pro- 50 vided with a projecting portion 4 adjacent the opening 5 through the oven wall 6.

All of the burners and pilots of the stove are.

supplied from the manifold I. The oven burner and its associated auxiliary pilot hereinafter de- 55 scribed are both supplied through the valve 8 which controls the flow of gas from the manifold l to the pipe. 9. I

The pipe 9 extends to the automatic thermostatically controlled valve indicated generally by the reference character ill, see Figures 1 and 2, 5 and from this valve a pipe ll leads to the oven burner. I

It is to be noted from Figure '2 that a by-pass pipe I2 is provided and extends from the pipe 9 to the mixing tube l3 of the auxiliary pilot. 10

From Figure 3 it will be seen that this auxiliary pilot has the mixing tube I3 screwed into a casting l4 which is provided with a lateral extension I5 having a plurality of holes I6 and projecting through the aperture 5, see Figure i, into proximity to the member 4. The relative vertical position of the parts is shown in Figure 3. v

It is to be noted that the casting M of the auxiliary pilot is provided with an extension having an annular threaded portion l1 upon which an adjustable sleeve I8 is screwed to thereby limit the entrance of secondary air into a flash back tube [9 fitted within the annular extension H, such flash backtube being hereinafter'described in greater detail. The casting I4 is provided with a cluster burner immediately below the adjustable sleeve [8, the holes of such burner being indicated by the reference character 20 in Figure 3. This cluster burner may be of any suitable type, an additional form of cluster burner being shown in Figure 6 which will be described later.

The casting It is provided with an arm 2|, see Figure 2, to which the pin 22 is rigidly secured. This pin carries the thermostatic member 23 and is adapted to be locked in any desired adjusted position by meansrof the nut 24, see Figure 3.

It is to be noted from Figure 2 that the burner l5 of the auxiliary pilot is provided with a plurality of openings 25 which cause a plurality of flames to play" upon the thermostatic member 23 whenever such auxiliary pilot is lighted and thereby heat the major portion of this thermostatic member and secure a pronounced and rapid response, causing the thermostatic member to move within an extremely brief period after the lighting or extinguishing of the auxiliary pilot.

The thermostatic member 23 carries a fitting 26 adjacent its free end which is provided with a pair of bowed spring jaws or friction jaws 21 most clearly shown in Figure 5. These spring jaws 21 frictionally grip an extended portion 28 of a valve controlling arm 29, suitable adjustable stops being provided as indicated in Figure 2.

The automatic valve I0 is carried in any suitcasing of the valve, as very clearly shown in Figure 5, to thereby maintain a gas tight joint without any packingwhatsoever. The other'end of the shaft 3| is beveled and a follower 33 is spring pressed against such beveled end to maintain the gas tight fit between the ground flange or collar 32 and the casing.

An arm 34 is rigidly secured to the rock shaft 3| and is provided with a central cut out portion 35 within which a bowed spring 36 is positioned. The ends of the bowed spring are car ried within members 31 provided with V -shaped ,slots, as shown in Figure 4, and provided with -forked ends which interfit with corresponding portions of the arm 34. The bowed spring is ap-- proximately centrally slotted, as indicated at 38,

and fits loosely over a reduced portion 39 formed on the stem of the valve 40, the valve 40 cooperatingwith a fitting 4| provided with a valve seat and having an extension 42 guided by the casing of the valve, as shown in Figure 4.

The bowed spring 36 is slitted adjacent one end and oppositely bowed loops 43 are formedfrom the two half strips of the spring produced by this slit, such slit being indicated at 44 in Figure 5.

When the rock arm3l is rocked in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 4, the

spring 36 will be tensioned and will finally snap suddenly upwardly or, in other words, will suddenly bow upwardly, thereby raising the valve 40' as viewed in Figure 4 and opening such valve with a quick motion. A reverse rocking action of the rock shaft 3| will cause the spring to suddenly bow downwardly, as shown in Figure 4,

45 thereby closing the valve with a snap action.

The friction obtained between the spring jaws 21 carried by the thermostatic member and the portion 28 of the rock arm 29 previously described insures the operation of the valve during the initial motion from either position of the thermostatic member. This friction clutch device permits the thermostatic member to complete its entire stroke without producing straining of any of the parts, as the frictional slip joint permits the spring jaws 37 to slip over the member 21 to accommodate the 'additional movement of the thermostatic member.

However, a very pronounced beneficial result is obtained by this construction, for it will be noted that the initial movement of the thermostatic member actuates the valve and consequently a very quick, response is obtained, as the thermostatic member does not have to complete its entire stroke in either direction to either open or close the valve.

Further, by combining this construction with that of the snap acting valve an extremely quick and positive response is obtained during the initial portion of the stroke of the thermostatic member in either direction, thereby fully opening or fully closing the valve during this initial portion of the stroke of the thermostatic member.

Returning to the flash back tube I9, attention is called to the fact that this ,tube extends upwardly and thereafter laterally to adjacent the main pilot I, as may be seen from Figures 1 and 3. The flash back tube I9 is provided with a series oft. apertures 45 on the underside of the horizontal portion thereof and on the corresponding side of the vertical portion. These apertures provide for the additional admission of secsubstantially conforming to the interior contour of the adjacent portion of the flash back structure.

In other words, the cluster burner, which will be more fully described in connection with Figure 6, produces a wall of gas, or in other words, a wall or mixture or a cylindrical body of mixture which limits the entrance of secondary air and consequently provides fora reasonable rate of travel of the mixture through the flash back tube I9, thereby allowing the flame which flashes back to be readily propagated at a rate in excess of the upwardly and outwardly traveling rate of the mixture.

It is believed that a consideration of Figure 6 at this point will materially aid in the underas to insure the formation of a cylindrical or other shaped body of mixture which substantially fills the lower end of the flash back tube or corresponding portion of the structure. In

the form 'shown in Figure 6, the casting I4 is provided with an annular portion l1 which may a terminate sufiiciently close to the auxiliary pilot face to avoid the necessity of using an adjustable sleeve I 8, although it is to be distinctly understood that the adjustable sleeve may or may not be used with either form of the invention.- Also,

if desired, an individual fitting corresponding to the fitting 46 may beemployed with the structure as illustrated in Figure 3.

Returning a moment to Figure 6, it will be noted that the cluster burner or fitting 46 is located in a plane below the upper faceof the auxiliary pilot so that if there is a pressure wave from any source whatsoever, it cannot snuff out the cluster burner. If desired, an additional aperture 68 may be provided through the casting I 6', as shown in Figure 6, for the admission of secondary air. I

In operating the device, the valve 8 is opened and gas passes to the auxiliary pilot. The cluster burner fills the tube is with a charging mixture which may be comparatively rich and which may be diluted to the proper amount by the admission of secondary air along the length of the tube through the apertures 66, see Figure 3. This mixture is ignited by the main pilot 9 and the flame flashes back and lights the aux-- the supplying of the oven burner with gas if the auxiliary pilot should fail for any reason whatsoever. I

It will be seen that this invention enables an oven burner which is located at a point remote from and in a plane below that of the main pilot to be lighted from the main pilot with the utmost ease and certainty and in an extremely brief interval of time.

Further, it will be seen that an automatic valve has been provided which is thermostatically operated to completely open or completely close during the initial operation of the stroke of the thermostatic member.

It will be seen further that the device is extremely simple, has relatively few parts, and that it is substantially fool proof in its operation and requires no thought on the part of the operator.

The expression ground joint as used in the claims is to be understood as covering a joint whether a ground joint, or a machine joint, or any other type of joint of this general order.

I claim:

1. A valve construction comprising a valve I seat, .a valve cooperating with said seat, a rock shaft spaced laterally from said valve, a rock arm carried by said rock shaft, and a bowed spring carried by said rock arm and operatively connected with said valve adjacent the middle of said bowed spring, said bowed spring having compensating means adjacent one end of said bowed spring, and said rock arm being movable past the dead center position of said bowed spring, whereby a quick opening and quick closing of said valve is provided when said rock arm passes from side to side of the dead center position of said bowed spring.

2. A valve construction comprising a valve seat, a valve cooperating with said seat, a rock shaft spaced laterally from said valve, a rock arm carried by said rock shaft, and a bowed spring carried by said rock arm and operatively connected with said valve adjacent the middle of said bowed spring, said bowed spring having oppositely directed loops forming compensating means adjacent one end of said bowed spring, and said rock arm being movable past the dead center position of said bowed spring, whereby a quick opening and quick closing of said valve is provided when said rock arm passes from side to side of the dead center position of said bowed spring.

3. A valve construction comprising a valve seat, a valve cooperating with said seat, a rock shaft spaced laterally from said valve, a rock arm carried by said rock shaft, a bowed spring carried by said rock arm and operatively connected with said valve adjacent the middle of said bowed spring, said bowed spring having compensating means adjacent one end of said bowed spring, and said rock arm being movable past the dead center position of said bowed spring, whereby a quick opening and quick closing of said valve is provided when said rock arm passes from side to side of the dead center position of said bowed spring, said valve having a stem projecting beyond said bowed spring, and guiding means for the projecting portion of said stem for guiding said valve for rectilinear motion.

4. A quick motion valve construction comprising a valve seat, a valve cooperating with said valve seat, a rock shaft spaced laterally from said valve, a rock arm carried by said rock shaft, said valve having a valve stem provided with a reduced portion, and a bowed spring carried at opposite ends by said rock arm and having an aperture adjacent the middle of said bowed spring loosely receiving the reduced portion of said valve stem.

5. A quick motion valve construction comprising a valve seat, a valve cooperating with said valve seat, a rock shaft spaced laterally from said valve, a rock arm carried by said rock shaft, said valve having a valve stem provided with a reduced portion, guiding means for said stem for guiding said valve for rectilinear motion, and a bowed spring carried at opposite ends by said rock arm and having an elongated aperture adjacent the middle of said bowed spring loosely receiving the reduced portion of said valve stem, said bowed spring having compensating means adjacent one end thereof.

FRANK A. GAUGER. 

